Power generating system utilizing buoyancy

ABSTRACT

A generating set formed so that a generator  70  connected to a rotary shaft  32  turning and supporting a conveyor  30  by utilizing the power by which a gas supplied by a supply means  60  into a bucket  50  positioned on a lower portion of the side of the conveyor  30  which is turned upward in the interior of a tower  10  is moved up with the bucket  50  in a liquid  20  stored in the interior of the tower  10  as the gas receives the buoyancy of the liquid. In this generating set, the supply means  60  is formed so as to turn compressed air into a plurality of bubbles of a very small diameter, send out these bubbles into the liquid  20  in the interior of the tower, and hold down to a low level the resistance occurring when the compressed air is sent out into the liquid  20  in the interior of the tower. An electric power energy value obtained from the generator  70  is increased with respect to a value of the energy consumed by the supply means  60.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a buoyancy-utilizing generating set adapted torotate a generator by utilizing the buoyancy of a bubbled gas moving upin a liquid.

BACKGROUND ART

Various methods of obtaining electric power from a clean energy sourceharmless to the earth environment have been attempted. These methodsinclude methods of developing, for example, a generating set utilizingwind power, a generating set utilizing wave power, and a generating setutilizing solar energy, and the like.

However, as a matter of regret, any of these related art generating setshas not come to satisfy a demand for electric power sufficiently in amodern society in which a large quantity of electric power is consumed.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and aimsat providing a generating set adapted to rotate a generator by utilizingbuoyancy occurring in a gas sent in the form of bubbles into a liquid,such as water, and capable of greatly heightening the electric powerenergy obtained from a generator rotated by using buoyancy occurring ina gas sent in the form of bubbles into a liquid, such as water, ascompared with the consumed energy needed to send the gas in the form ofbubbles into the liquid, such as water.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

To achieve such a purpose, the buoyancy-utilizing generating setaccording to the invention is provided with a vertically standingcylindrical tower in which a liquid is stored, a conveyor extendedvertically in the shape of a loop in the interior of the tower so thatthe conveyor can be vertically turned, a plurality of buckets arrangedon an outer side of the conveyor at predetermined intervals in thelongitudinal direction of the conveyor so that openings of the bucketsface in a direction opposite to the direction in which the conveyorturns, a supply means adapted to supply a gas in the form of bubblesinto a bucket positioned on a lower portion of the side of the conveyorwhich is moved upward in the interior of the tower, through a downwardlydirected opening of the same bucket, and a generator connected to arotary shaft supporting the conveyor rotatably.

In this arrangement, the side of the conveyor on which the bucket isprovided is turned upward by utilizing the power by which the gassupplied by the supply means into the bucket positioned on a lowerportion of the side of the conveyor which is turned upward in theinterior of the tower is moved up with the bucket in the liquid storedin the interior of the tower as the gas receives the buoyancy of theliquid, and, with the turning of the conveyor, the generator connectedto the rotary shaft which is rotated in the direction in which theconveyor is turned, and which supports the conveyor, is rotated.

The characteristics of the supply means reside in that the supply meansincludes a gas supply means for sending a compressed gas into theinterior of a front end-closed pipe provided in a lower portion of theinterior of the tower, a plurality of holes of a very small diameteradapted to turn the gas sent from the gas supply means into the interiorof the pipe into a plurality of bubbles of a very small diameter andsend out the bubbled gas into the liquid in the interior of the tower,and provided in a dotted manner in a circumferential wall of the pipe,and a gas introduction nozzle adapted to collect the plural bubbles ofthe gas sent out from the plural holes of a very small diameter in thecircumferential wall of the pipe into the bucket positioned on the lowerportion of the conveyor which is turned upward in the interior of thetower.

The structure of this gas supply means as compared with a gas supplymeans for sending the gas left in the form of large-diameter bubbles,which are supplied into the interior of the pipe, into the liquid in theinterior of the tower is capable of sending smoothly with a lowresistance the gas in the form of a plurality of bubbles of a very smalldiameter from the plural holes of a very small diameter. The pluralbubbles of a very small diameter of the gas sent out from the holes of avery small diameter of the circumferential wall of the pipe into theliquid in the interior of the tower are collected reliably withoutomission in an inner side of the gas introduction nozzle. The resultantbubbles can be sent accurately in the form of bubbles of a largediameter, etc. from the front end of the gas introduction nozzle intothe bucket positioned on the lower portion of the side of the conveyorturned in the interior of the tower in the upward direction.

Therefore, it becomes possible to heighten greatly an electric energyvalue obtained from the generator rotated with the rotary shaft inaccordance with the rotation of the conveyor turned by the buoyancyreceived from the liquid stored in the interior of the tower as comparedwith a value of the electric power energy consumed by the gas supplymeans adapted to send a gas in the form of bubbles into the liquid inthe interior of the tower.

In the generating set according to the invention, it is recommended thatvarious exhaust gases having exhaust pressures, i.e. compressed gasesincluding various exhaust gases wastefully discharged from a factory andthe like into the atmospheric air, and exhaust gases wastefullydischarged from internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine anda gasoline engine and the like be used for the compressed air sent bythe gas supply means into the interior of the pipe.

In such a case, these gases wastefully discharged to the atmospheric airand having an exhaust pressure can be put to practical use effectivelyas a generating set driving energy source.

In the generating set according to the invention, it is recommended thata flexible guide plate for sending the bubbles of a gas from the gasintroduction nozzle without letting the same leak out therefrom, intothe bucket positioned at a lower portion of the side of the conveyorwhich turns upward in the interior of the tower be provided so that theguide plate stands up from a bottom portion in the tower along an outerside surface of the same bucket.

In such a case, an intermediate portion and the like of the flexibleguide plate provided so that the guide plate stands up from the innerbottom portion of the tower into the liquid in the interior thereof canbe bent inward and outward at around a suitable angle in conformity withan orbit, along which the outer surface of the bucket which ispositioned at a lower portion of the side of the conveyor which isturned upward in the interior of the tower, and which is turned upwardwith the conveyor, is moved. The inner side surface of the flexibleguide plate can be constantly brought into close contact with the outerside surface of the bucket positioned on the lower portion of the sideof the conveyor which is turned upward, without leaving a clearancebetween these two side surfaces. The flexible guide plate can preventthe some of the bubbles of a gas supplied from the gas supply means intothe liquid in the interior of the tower to an upper portion of theinterior of the tower from leaking to an upper portion of the interiorof the tower through a space on the outer side of the bucket, which ispositioned on the portion of the side of the conveyor which is turnedupward in the interior of the tower, without being sent into theinterior of the same bucket.

In the generating set according to the invention, it is recommended thatthe outer edge of the opening of each of the plural buckets arrangedregularly and longitudinally along the outer side of the conveyor beprovided with a sub-guide plate in a diagonally outwardly standing stateso that the sub-guide plate extends in the opposite direction withrespect to a trunk portion of the bucket.

In such a case, the sub-guide plate provided on the outer edge of theopening of the bucket positioned on the lower portion of the side of theconveyor which is turned upward in the interior of the tower can preventsome of the bubbles of a gas supplied from the supply means to theliquid in the interior of the tower from leaking to an upper portion ofthe interior of the tower through a space on the outer side of thebucket without being accurately sent into the interior of the bucketthrough the downwardly directed opening thereof.

In the generating set according to the invention, a predeterminedquantity of liquid may be stored in the interior of the tower so that alevel of an upper end of the liquid becomes equal to the height of anupper end of the conveyor.

When, in such a case, the bucket provided on the outer side of theconveyor reaches the upper end of the conveyor or a position near theupper end thereof and is directed at the opening thereof upward orsubstantially upward with the gas sent into the bucket discharged to theoutside thereof to cause the bucket to cease receiving the buoyancy fromthe liquid in the interior of the tower, the bucket reaching the upperend of the conveyor or a position near the end thereof can be exposedfrom the interior of the liquid of a high fluid resistance in the towerto the atmospheric air of a low fluid resistance. The bucket reachingthe upper end of the conveyor or a position near the upper end thereofcan be turned with the conveyor smoothly on the outer side thereof witha low resistance. A value of the fluid resistance exerted on the bucketturned with the conveyor can be lowered.

In the generating set according to the invention, the conveyor may beformed by a combination of a chain and sprockets.

In such a case, the conveyor formed by a combination of a chain andsprockets can be turned in the liquid in the interior of the toweraccurately in the vertical direction without causing the conveyor toslip. In accordance with the turning of the chain, rotary shafts of thesprockets supporting the chain can be turned reliably in the directionin which the chain is turned. The generator connected to the rotaryshaft can be turned reliably in the chain turning direction. During thistime, the chain can be turned smoothly with a low engagement resistancearound the sprockets by using as a lubricant the liquid stored in theinterior of the tower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing the general construction of thegenerating set according to the invention,

FIG. 2 a front view of the generating set according to the invention,and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged construction diagram of a portion around thebuckets of the generating set according to the invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The best mode for carrying out the invention will now be described withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show a preferred embodiment of the generating setaccording to the invention.

This generating set is provided with a vertically standing cylindricaltower 10 in which a liquid 20 is stored. The tower 10 is provided at anupper end thereof with a gas discharge hole 12 adapted to let a gasrising in a liquid 20 in the interior of the tower 10 and reaching theupper end of the interior of the tower 10 escape therefrom to theoutside thereof. In the interior of the tower, a conveyor 30 extendingvertically, immersed in the liquid 20 and having the shape of a loop isrotatably provided. Along longitudinal outer sides of the conveyor 30, aplurality of buckets 50 are arranged at predetermined intervals andfixed thereto. The buckets 50 have the shape of a cubic box openedwidely at upper ends thereof, and arranged plurally along the outer sideof the conveyor 30 in the longitudinal direction thereof and fixedthereto with the openings of the buckets facing in the directionopposite to the direction in which the conveyor 30 is turned. A supplymeans 60 for supplying bubbles of a gas into a bucket 50 through thedownwardly directed opening thereof, which bucket 50 is positioned on alower portion of the side of the conveyor which extends between an outerportion of the tower 10 and a lower portion of the interior of the tower10 of the conveyor 30 which is turned upward in the interior of thetower 10. A driving shaft 72 of a generator provided outside the tower10 is connected to a lower rotary shaft 32, on which the conveyor 30 isrotatably supported, via a chain 74 and a sprocket 76.

The gas supplied by the supply means 60 into the bucket 50 positioned ona lower portion of the side of the conveyor 30 which is turned upward inthe interior of the tower 10 moves up with the bucket 50 in the liquid20 stored in the interior of the tower 10 as the gas receives buoyancy.The side of the conveyor 30 on which the bucket 50 is provided is turnedupward with this bucket lifting force utilized. With this turning of theconveyor 30, the generator 70 connected to the lower rotary shaft 32supporting the conveyor 30 and rotating in the direction in which theconveyor 30 is turned.

The supply means 60 includes a gas supply means 64 for sending acompressed gas into the interior of the front end-closed pipe 62provided in a lower portion of the interior of the tower 10, a pluralityof holes 66 of a very small diameters provided in a dotted manner in acircumferential wall of the pipe 62 for sending out a gas, which issupplied to the interior of the pipe 62 by the gas supply means, in theform of a plurality of bubbles of a very small diameter into the liquid20 in the interior of the tower, and a gas introduction nozzle 68 forcollecting a plurality of bubbles of a gas sent out from the pluralholes 66 of a very small diameter of the circumferential wall of thepipe into the liquid 20 in the interior of the tower, and sending outthe collected bubbles of a gas into the interior of a bucket 50, whichis positioned on the lower portion of the side of the conveyor which isturned upward in the interior of the tower 10, through a downwardlydirected opening of the bucket 50. The gas supply means 64 includes anair compressor 65 mounted on the outer side of the upper end of thetower 10 and adapted to send out compressed air, and an air circuit 67for sending out the compressed air, which is sent out from the aircompressor, into the interior of the front end-closed pipe 62 providedin the lower portion of the interior of the tower 10. A porous pipehaving holes of around several microns to several hundred microns at asubstantially uniform density in a circumferential wall thereof similarto the porous pipe disclosed in, for example, JP-UM-B-61-33344 is usedfor the pipe 62 having a plurality of holes 66 of a very small diameterin the circumferential wall thereof provided for sending out compressedair in the form of bubbles of a very small diameter into the liquid 20in the interior of the tower. The compressed air sent by the gas supplymeans 64 into the interior of the pipe 62 can be sent out in the form ofa plurality of bubbles of a very small diameter from the holes 66 of avery small diameter provided in a dotted manner in the circumferentialwall of the pipe 62 into the liquid 20 in the interior of the towersmoothly with a low resistance.

The gas introduction nozzle 68 is formed so that a rear portion thereofcovers continuously without any clearance a circumference of the pipe 62having a plurality of holes 66 of a very small diameter, and a front endof the gas introduction nozzle is disposed just under the bucket 50positioned on a lower portion of the side of the conveyor 30 which isturned upward in the interior of the tower 10. The gas introductionnozzle is capable of reliably collecting in the interior of the gasintroduction nozzle 68 without omission the compressed air in the formof a plurality of bubbles of a very small diameter sent out from theplural holes 66 of a very small diameter of the circumferential wall ofthe pipe into the liquid 20 in the interior of the tower, and sendingaccurately the resultant compressed air in the form of bubbles of alarge diameter into the bucket 50 positioned in the lower portion of theside of the conveyor 30 which is turned upward in the interior of thetower 10 from the downwardly directed opening of the bucket.

The generating set shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 is formed in theabove-described manner. To use this generating set practically, the aircompressor 65 of the air supply means is operated, and the compressedair is thereby sent into the interior of the pipe 62 provided at a lowerportion of the interior of the tower 10, through the air circuit 67 asshown in FIG. 1. The compressed air is sent out from the holes 66 of avery small diameter provided in a dotted manner in the circumferentialwall of the pipe 62, formed into plural bubbles of a very smalldiameter, and sent into the liquid 20 in the interior of the tower witha low resistance. The compressed air sent out in the form of a pluralityof bubbles of a very small diameter into the liquid 20 in the interiorof the tower is collected reliably without omission in the interior ofthe gas introduction nozzle 68 as shown in FIG. 3. The collectedcompressed air is then sent in the form of bubbles of a large diameterfrom the downwardly directed opening of the bucket 50 thereinto which ispositioned on the lower portion of the side of the conveyor 30 which isturned upward in the interior of the tower 10.

As a result, the compressed air supplied into the interior of the bucket50 moves up with the bucket S0 in the liquid 20 stored in the interiorof the tower 10 as the compressed air receives buoyancy from the liquid.The side of the conveyor 30 to which the bucket 50 is fixed can beturned upward with the compressed air and bucket lifting force utilized.With the turning of the conveyor 30, a driving shaft 72 of a generatorconnected to the lower rotary shaft 32 rotating in the direction inwhich the conveyor 30 is turned and supporting the conveyor 30 can beturned. Thus, electric power can be generated in the generator 70. Theelectric power generated in the generator 70 can be stored in, forexample, a capacitor 80.

In this generating set, the gas supply means 64 may be formed to astructure for sending gases having an exhaust pressure, such as variouskinds of exhaust gases wastefully discharged from a factory into theatmospheric air, and exhaust gases wastefully discharged from aninternal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine and a gasolineengine into the interior of the pipe 62 instead of a structure forsending the compressed air generated in the air compressor 65 into theinterior of the pipe 62. The gas supply means 64 may also be formed to astructure for sending the compressed air generated in the air compressor65 into the interior of the pipe 62 while sending an exhaust gas havingan exhaust pressure, such as various kinds of exhaust gases wastefullydischarged from a factory into the atmospheric air, and exhaust gaseswastefully discharged from an internal combustion engine, such as adiesel engine and a gasoline engine into the interior of the pipe 62.

In such a case, various kinds of discharge gases and exhaust gaseshaving an exhaust pressure, i.e. compressed gases wastefully sent outfrom a factory and internal combustion engines into the atmospheric aircan be utilized effectively as generating set driving energy sources.

In this generating set, it is recommended as shown in FIG. 1 that aflexible belt type guide plate 100 of a synthetic resin and the like forsending without omission the bubbled gas from the front end of the gasintroduction nozzle 68 into the interior of the bucket 50 positioned onthe lower portion of the side of the conveyor 30 which is turned upwardin the interior of the tower 10 be provided in the liquid 20 in theinterior of the tower so that the guide plate stands along the outersurface of the bucket 50 positioned on the lower portion of the side ofthe conveyor 30 which is turned upward in the interior of the tower 10.

In such a case, an intermediate portion and the like of the flexibleguide plate 100 provided so that the guide plate stands up from theinner bottom portion of the tower 10 into the liquid 20 in the interiorthereof as shown in FIG. 1 can be bent inward and outward at around asuitable angle in conformity with an orbit, along which an outer surfaceof the bucket 50, which is positioned on a lower portion of the side ofthe conveyor 30 which is turned upward in the interior of the tower 10,and which is turned upward with the conveyor 30, is moved. The innerside surface of the flexible guide plate 100 can be constantly broughtinto close contact with the outer side surface of the bucket 50positioned on the lower portion of the conveyor turned upward, withoutleaving a clearance between these two side surfaces, in such a mannerthat the guide plate 100 does not hamper the movement of the bucket 50which is turned with the conveyor 30. The flexible guide plate 100 canprevent the some of the bubbles of a gas supplied from the gas supplymeans 60 into the liquid 20 in the interior of the tower 10 to an upperportion of the interior of the tower from leaking to an upper portion ofthe interior of the tower 10 through a space on the outer side of thebucket 50, which is positioned on the portion of the side of theconveyor 30 which is turned upward in the interior of the tower 10,without being sent into the interior of the same bucket 50.

In this generating set, it is recommended that, as shown in FIG. 1, theouter edge of the opening of each of the plural buckets 50 arrangedregularly and longitudinally along the outer side of the conveyor 30 beprovided with a sub-guide plate 52 of a shape of a belt and the like ina diagonally outwardly standing state so that the sub-guide 52 extendsin the opposite direction with respect to a trunk portion of the bucket50.

In such a case, the sub-guide plate 52 provided on the outer edge of theopening of the bucket 50 positioned on the lower portion of the conveyor30 turned upward in the interior of the tower 10 can prevent some of thebubbles of a gas supplied from the supply means 60 to the liquid 20 inthe interior of the tower 10 from leaking to an upper portion of theinterior of the tower through a space on the outer side of the bucket 50without being accurately sent into the interior of the bucket 50 throughthe downwardly directed opening thereof.

In this generating set, a predetermined quantity of liquid 20 may bestored as shown in FIG. 1, in the interior of the tower 10 so that alevel of an upper end of the liquid 20 stored in the interior of thetower 10 becomes equal to the height of an upper end of the conveyor 30.

When, in such a case, the bucket 50 provided on the outer side of theconveyor 30 reaches the upper end of the conveyor 30 or a position nearthe upper end thereof and is directed at the opening thereof upward orsubstantially upward with the compressed air sent into the bucket 50discharged to the outside thereof to cause the bucket 50 to ceasereceiving the buoyancy from the liquid 20 in the interior of the tower,the bucket 50 reaching the upper end of the conveyor 30 or a positionnear the end thereof can be exposed from the interior of the liquid 20of a high fluid resistance in the tower 10 to the atmospheric air of alow fluid resistance. The bucket 50 reaching the upper end of theconveyor 30 or a position near the upper end thereof can be turned withthe conveyor 30 smoothly with a low resistance on the outer side of theconveyor 30. A value of the fluid resistance exerted on the bucket 50circulated with the conveyor 30 can be lowered.

In this generating set, the conveyor 30 may be formed by a combinationof a chain and sprockets as shown in FIG. 1.

In such a case, the conveyor 30 formed by a combination of a chain andsprockets can be turned in the liquid 20 in the interior of the toweraccurately in the vertical direction without causing the conveyor toslip. In accordance with the turning of the chain, rotary shafts 32 ofthe sprockets supporting the chain can be turned reliably in thedirection in which the chain is turned. Thereby, the generator 70connected to the rotary shaft 32 can be run in the direction in whichthe chain is turned. During this time, the chain can be turned smoothlywith a low engagement resistance around the sprockets by using as alubricant the liquid 20 stored in the interior of the tower.

According to the results of an experiment, the following have beenascertained. When electric power is generated in a generator 30 by usingthe same generating set as is shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the bubbledcompressed air sent into a bucket 50 is lifted with the bucket 50 in aliquid 20 stored in the interior of the tower 10 as the bubbledcompressed air receives buoyancy from the liquid. It was proven that avalue of the energy of output electric power obtained by utilizing thislifting force from a generator 70 rotated in the turning direction ofthe conveyor 30 could be heightened greatly as compared with that of theenergy of electric power consumed by a supply means 60 adapted to sendthe compressed air in the form of bubbles into the liquid 20 in theinterior of the tower.

This experiment will now be described in detail below.

In this experiment, two compressors of specific power consumption of 100W were used for an air compressor 65. In the interior of the tower 10,city water was stored. Two outer rotor generators of P-500G manufacturedby the Power Z Co., Ltd. were used in a connected state for thegenerator 70. These two generators 70 were rotated by utilizing thebuoyancy which the bubbled compressed air sent from the two 100 Wcompressors into the city water stored in the interior of the tower 10received from the city water. A speed increasing gear 75 made of acombination of a plurality of gears was mounted on a driving shaft 72 ofthe generator, and the generator 70 was rotated at a high speed ofsubstantially 1000 rpm.

As a result, the output voltage value of each of the two generators 70became 50,000 V, and the output current value of each thereof 3,050 A.Namely, the output power value of each of the two generators 70 became152,500 W. The results proved that the specific power consumption valueof the air compressor 65 of the feed means was 200 W with the outputpower value, which was obtained from the two generators 70, havingbecome 305,000 W, and that the output power value of the generators 70with respect to the specific power consumption value of the supply means60 increased greatly, i.e., about 1.5 times.

A liquid having specific gravity higher than that of the water andenabling a gas sent thereinto to receive a high buoyancy and a liquidrarely corroded even when the liquid continues to be stored for a longperiod of time can be used for the liquid 20 stored in the tower 10 ofthe generating set according to the invention. Various kinds of gasesother than the air can be used for the gas sent into the liquid 20 inthe interior of the tower.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The generating set according to the invention can be utilized widely asa power supply source harmless to the earth environment and constitutingmeasures to save energy in a factory and the like in which a largequantity of electric power is consumed, and as an energy-saving powersupply source for a general household.

1. A buoyancy-utilizing generating set provided with a verticallystanding cylindrical tower in which a liquid is stored, a conveyorextended vertically in the shape of a loop in the interior of the towerso that the conveyor can be vertically turned, a plurality of bucketsarranged on an outer side of the conveyor at predetermined intervals inthe longitudinal direction of the conveyor so that openings of thebuckets face in a direction opposite to the direction in which theconveyor turns, a supply means adapted to supply a gas in the form ofbubbles into a bucket positioned on a portion of the side of theconveyor which is turned upward in the interior of the tower, through adownwardly directed opening of the same bucket, and a generatorconnected to a rotary shaft supporting the conveyor rotatably, the sideof the conveyor on which the bucket is provided being turned upward byutilizing the power by which the gas supplied by the supply means intothe bucket positioned on the lower portion of the side of the conveyorwhich is turned upward in the interior of the tower is moved up with thebucket in the liquid stored in the interior of the tower as the gasreceives the buoyancy of the liquid, the generator connected to therotary shaft rotated in the turning direction of the conveyor beingrotated in accordance with the turning of the conveyor, wherein: thesupply means includes a gas supply means for sending a compressed gasinto an interior of a front end-closed pipe provided in a lower portionof the interior of the tower, a plurality of holes of a very smalldiameter adapted to turn the gas sent from the gas supply means into theinterior of the pipe into a plurality of bubbles of a very smalldiameter and send out the bubbled gas into the liquid in the interior ofthe tower, and provided in a dotted manner in a circumferential wall ofthe pipe, and a gas introduction nozzle adapted to collect the pluralbubbles of the gas sent out from the plurality of holes in thecircumferential wall of the pipe into the bucket positioned on the lowerportion of the side of the conveyor which is turned upward in theinterior of the tower.
 2. A buoyancy-utilizing generating set accordingto claim 1, wherein a gas discharged to the atmospheric air and havingan exhaust pressure is used as the compressed gas sent by the gas supplymeans into the interior of the pipe.
 3. A buoyancy-utilizing generatingset according to claim 1 further comprising: a flexible guide plate forsending the bubbled gas from the gas introduction nozzle into the bucketpositioned in a lower portion of the side of the conveyor which isturned upward in the interior of the tower without causing the leakageof the bubbled gas to occur, wherein the guide plate stands up from abottom portion of the tower into the liquid in the interior of the towerand extends along the outer side surface of the bucket positioned on alower portion on the side of the conveyor which is turned upward in theinterior of the tower.
 4. A buoyancy-utilizing generating set accordingto claim 1, further comprising: a sub-guide plate provided on an outerside edge of an opening of each of the plurality of buckets arrangedside by side in the longitudinal direction on an outer side of theconveyor so that the sub-guide plate stands up in the diagonally outwarddirection which is opposite to a trunk portion side of the bucket.
 5. Abuoyancy-utilizing generating set according to claim 1, wherein apredetermined quantity of liquid is stored in the interior of the towerso that the level of an upper end of the liquid becomes substantiallyequal to the height of an upper end of the conveyor.
 6. Abuoyancy-utilizing generating set according to claim 1, wherein theconveyor is made of a combination of a chain and sprockets.
 7. Abuoyancy-utilizing generating set according to claim 3, furthercomprising: a sub-guide plate provided on an outer side edge of anopening of each of the plurality of buckets arranged side by side in thelongitudinal direction on an outer side of the conveyor so that thesub-guide plate stands up in the diagonally outward direction which isopposite to a trunk portion side of the bucket.